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Topic: EEVBlab #40 - Content (Read 1504 times)

Maybe I'm one of the multitude who are happy with the way things are, I don't know, but it's been a LONG time since I saw an EEVBlog episode that I didn't like enough for me to complain about it. It was the one where you destroyed a multimeter. So, to address some of Dave's points:

No, there aren't too many mailbags. Given the volume of stuff Dave probably receives a mailbag a week is probably about right but I' not going to miss it too much if there isn't one for a while.

The tutorials from David are good.

There are a few oscilloscope videos around at the moment but I suspect that this depends on when the manufacturers release new products. Even though I'm not looking for a four-channel scope at the moment I'm looking forward to the shootout, but the teardowns are getting to be a bit 'same old same old' as there are only a finite number of ways to build a digital scope.

No, the Siglent video didn't look sponsored, especially when you highlighted a possible problem with the trigger circuit. From memory the only sponsored video I've seen recently was one that Big Clive did and it was terrible, it was almost as if he was going through a list provided by the manufacturer of things to mention and the natural flow of the presentation was destroyed. Having said that, there's been a lot of good stuff on EEVBlog on Agilent/Keysight recently and it wouldn't surprise me if this exposure resulted in an uptick in business.

So, Dave, please keep up the good work.

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Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.

Of course, I do like the mailbags so I can never have to many, agreed on what he is passionate about or excited about makes a world of difference. One mailbag that really stood out to me was the one where someone sent their first board in for him to look at and he went a little on depth on it and he did it in a really enouraging way too. We all make mistakes especially first time ardound and it's really enlightning to those beginning.

I more enjoy the general teardowns and also instruction videos are very informative. But I think we all understand when you have busy times in life, it's difficult to do as much as normal.

I feel sorry that you have to explain yourself and justify why you do what you do despite the effort you put on your videos. fact of life you can't satisfy everyone and you don't have to. You content is well diversified and this is a good thing. Many of your viewers are hobbyist that would like to see tutorials and many are professionals and don't enjoy that, but they enjoy tear-down and test equipment video, it's up to the viewer to choose what to watch depending on the topic, good thing those video have title.

i don't think there is too much mailbags, one a week is good and i think you should keep it that way. I find it hard to complain about it, i think it's a common ground for everyone, hobbyist and pro alike will find some interesting items shown in the mailbag.

This is the same principle you have recommended to other bloggers ... and I have every respect for that and the motivational "common sense" that it represents.

Stick with it.

Reviewing feedback is simply good business - and you have to keep yourself in the loop. However, it seems that sometimes the critics get under your skin - even when they're wrong (which is how often?)

To address those critics in a video is a generous act on your part - and if there is any such compulsion in the future, I would suggest you link this video and simply publish the current stats.

As for those who claim "Sponsored content!" ... you know there are always going to be those claims. It is far too easy for this - and many other - accusations to be spewed out by people who have nothing better to do than try and make themselves feel better by stomping on someone else. Having a Youtube channel makes for an easy target.

I'd chastise you for letting the turkeys "get to you" - but I appreciate they can be hard to ignore completely.

I was referencing the comment Dave made about his enthusiasm driving the video content. The AN8008 video is made. The pocket DMM shootout is not and it hasn't been for a while now. I wanted to see that video but I now wonder if It will be.

There are quite some possibilities to have someone change from viewer to critic. I mean criticism is easy, it is always harder to come up with correct answers to if there is something to it at all, than to just criticise based on personal feelings. How many just misinterpret their filter bubble or underestimate time going by? The wording is just too vague to be nailed down, there is not much more to do than to take it as an expression of a personal opinion until there is a better explanation or to ask for one.

Anyway, the applied statistics make even the refutation videos interesting to watch :-).I don´t think the long term benefit comes from the order or frequency in which what type of video is released (ok, spare me the knee thing *shiver*), but how often the videos are found, linked and therefore watched. Constant release of videos of course keeps them up on the youtube start page for more viewers and thats very important too, as it gives a single video a sufficient amount of initial views to keep it on top of search results later (thats the algorithm some full time youtubers sometimes complain about). The youtube suggestions that are apart from "new video" seem to ignore time of release anyway but go by another algorithm (= keywords & preference of other viewers).

Channels that aquired a relevant amount of subscribers see comments like "i want the old channel xyz back" once in a while but i think that argument completely ignores how the rise in subscribers was achieved in the first place - usually by not doing always the same thing over and over again. It is not only impossible to satisfy everyone, it is impossible to not do the same thing and do the same thing concurrently, which is the catch with those complaints or complaints based on personal preference.

Some trolls occasionally try to build up a downward spiral like that, so a reaction might be unfavorable, to not fuel that.

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Working in electronics is like a good puzzle. Comes with: More Parts! Complications™! Physics! English! Pulled out Hairs! Batteries included!

Channels that aquired a relevant amount of subscribers see comments like "i want the old channel xyz back" once in a while but i think that argument completely ignores how the rise in subscribers was achieved in the first place - usually by not doing always the same thing over and over again.

The Hydraulic Press channels comes to mind, and I haven't checked lately, but did it ever maintain an audience after it's meteoric rise?

Channels that aquired a relevant amount of subscribers see comments like "i want the old channel xyz back" once in a while but i think that argument completely ignores how the rise in subscribers was achieved in the first place - usually by not doing always the same thing over and over again. It is not only impossible to satisfy everyone, it is impossible to not do the same thing and do the same thing concurrently, which is the catch with those complaints or complaints based on personal preference.

Some trolls occasionally try to build up a downward spiral like that, so a reaction might be unfavorable, to not fuel that.

For a long running channel like the EEVBlog if you attract viewers and subscribers with a certain type of content and then overtime it changes you are going to drop older subscribers and if you change the mix well you may pick up more new subscribers. I wonder if the new ones hang around as long. I don't get that vibe from the usernames on the forum. Just a gut feel.

I've been around a while although I find new eevblog videos through the forum because I am not a subscriber anymore. I took Dave's advice and I don't watch all the videos like I did for the first 3 or 4 years. This past 4 years I am more selective. And not just with the EEVBlog. The only channel of the sixty I do subscribe to that I still watch all videos is Fran Blanche.

At one time, years ago, I had the impression Dave was frustrated with the regularity of videos and he tried putting days in the title to force himself to get content out more regularly. Maybe he said that or I just formed that impression, I'm no longer sure. I doubt he ever made Mailbag every Monday three weeks running. I checked the number of mailbag videos a month or so ago and Mailbag Monthly is looking decidedly shakey for 2017. It could still happen. For a video that is "everyone's favourite" that's something that surprised me. Oh well.

I think he should put videos in-the-can if that helps create a regular stream of content not quite so beholding to Dave's current level of enthusiasm. If nothing else it might save the need for sufficient bandwidth to get the next video out quickly. I do want more review-shootout eg the pocket DMM even though the survey said only 20% like that. But then only 20% want EEVBlab also, so you gotta love the irony.

Ok, Ok, i forgot about this kind of channel and yes they do collect subscribers, otoh who remembers or actively searches for the episode in which he squeezed toy $xyz and who could have guessed that it broke? And yes, i get these thrown into my suggestions and watch them now and then. He is good in regard to attract so many people and editing his work in a way that it stays entertaining. Surely an intelligent person, avoiding the obstacles. Doing 670 to 10k€ a month with it.

I would guess they completely live off the viral effect, first impression and their reach following that. Yet their video length is completely dominated by the attention span for short excitements, not as for educational content. That has consequences for the value of an ad there vs. here and it is questonable if quantity vs. quality is accounted for at youtube. Back when all was text, more content meant more search hits. Marketing companies are not only selling data and time or area, at its core it is also attention (and money).

I think that channels like yours are just a different type, i see this in youtube machining videos of educational content as well, which practically have a story in a 30 minute video. Viewers are more recurring there, generating more time watched. What they are doing different is occasional collaboration, contests between each other or meetups. It might be harder, as good EE is kind of a niche already, contrary to numbers of units sold that require an understanding of EE to work.

Any group of people has a fluctuation to it, it's normal as highly visible, active members will change their priorities now and then, not even related to the content but their perception of it relative to their life. For a full time single presenter that means viewers can sooner or later end his sentences. Thats nothing bad, it's just 1000+ videos and that might feel boring to some. Imho its got more to do with the watch habits. As long as it's newby friendly, new people will come and stay for some time as well.

Consider the video topics would specialize extremely in one direction only (without getting viral), that would surely decimate subscriber growth and the mentioned decline part kills the rest.

To compensate a bit maybe a school class like approach (without calling it so) makes sense so there is some learning curve for viewers to get, but still enables new viewers to join? It can be just like it is but with more follow ups or more in depth. Schools do solve this problem for quite a while now, but with a differrent approach and often without any excitement. :-)

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Working in electronics is like a good puzzle. Comes with: More Parts! Complications™! Physics! English! Pulled out Hairs! Batteries included!

Dave, I think that people who complain about recent contents are actually complaining about something else: In your earlier videos younger Dave's ENTHUSIASM was oozing from the screen and it was infectious. For older Dave, video blogging seems to have become more of a routine thing... Watch an early and a late video side by side to see for yourself. I don't mean to blame you. It's inevitable as we get older. It's impossible to keep early "high" all the time in any endeavor, be it hobby, or favorite job, or personal relationships...

Frankly, don't change a thing. Change for change's sake is more often than not a disaster. And forget running off polls, all that will do is polarize the audience even more. This is not a "put it on in the background" sort of channel, at least most of the various video types Dave publishes aren't of that sort. This is more of the "you need to pay attention" type of thing, and as such draws a massively different audience than your typical game playing or entertainment video.

I initially subscribed because I likes what I was watching. Do I absolutely love every video Dave has made? Of course not. Do I like some better than others? Of course. But I don't think I can even categorize by type. There are videos across the board I like. There are few categories, if any, where I like every single video.

I guess I am not one to knee jerk react at things. Oh, I didn't like that video, so forget the other 1000+ I DID like, I'm out of here? Wait, did Dave just say something unrelated to electronics that I don't happen to agree with? Forget all the content I've enjoyed, I'm gone. I guess I just have a poor understanding of what appears to be the typical reaction of the general public. It would be a very sad and lonely world if I only engaged with those who think exactly like I do.

Watch #1023... can´t see enthusiasm lost. "Just look at the thing!" ;-) Love it. Yes, it is often opinion and people get more relaxed toward stuff after time (highest high and lowest low and such), but imho there is always plenty in a video for the regular viewer to know what it is about without deterring new viewers (by e.g. going extreme on that). Therefore Daves videos can unscrupulously be recommended to help people getting answers to a question they might have.

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Working in electronics is like a good puzzle. Comes with: More Parts! Complications™! Physics! English! Pulled out Hairs! Batteries included!